ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Need some Help with fuel pumps

I have a few questions. I have a company that has three fuel pumps. The pumps are the simple type nothing fancy. The owner wants when the pumps run a light on the shop flashes to let the works know when the pumps are running.Now there is always power at the pumps and installing relays wont work because the light would always be on.So what do I have for options?

If there is always power at the pumps, do you mean they are always running? I would assume that is not the case. I would think there is a control to a mag starter.

There might be power at the pump all the time but the motor isn't running all the time. What brand pump are they?? Are they old style mechanical pumps?? Most have several unused switches in reset mechanism that could be used to turn on a light.

They are older style pumps ill try to get pix

Why not install current-activated relays on the circuits to the pumps, and use them to turn on lights or whatever?

Something like these:

http://www.ssac.com/catalog/ECS01A01.pdf

With these, you can do all your wiring back in the shop, and not need to bring additional wires back from the pumps (avoiding the hazardous location sealing issues).

I didn't see a price on that relay.

I've bought the SSAC units for around $150 or so. There are somewhat cheaper options, as well:

http://web1.automationdirect.com/adc/Overview/Catalog/Sensors_-z-_Encoders/Current_Sensing_Switches

Talk about not enough information! All of my bus garage installations show when the selected lead and lag pumps are running. If I didn't have it already, I could cheat using my Veeder-Root Tank Monitoring System. It wouldn't show that a pump is running BUT I could program each tank's "Sudden Loss Alarm" to a ridiculously low number of gallons. That would show when you were actually dispensing fuel. If the annoying beep and red lamp or LED weren't enough, a relay output could be programmed to alarm for sudden loss in any tank. I only offer this up because most folks aren't issued green stickers, allowing them to receive fuel deliveries, unless they already have this capability.

All of the Gasboy dispensers that I deal with control tank mounted STPs. The drive for their contactor comes from the reset counter. In other words, you throw the lever, the counter zeros, and the contacts close on the next click that you hear. There are also contacts for slow and fast fuel solenoids. I believe that there is often an additional dry contact available. Of course, all this stuff is at the pumps and no fun if sufficient spares weren't pulled. And boy do I HATE CHOPPIN' AWAY AT CHICO!!! That's why I would look into your TMS for the Sudden Loss settings.
Joe

I can assure you that many places sell fuel without having a TLS350. But that is a good idea if it was available.

The city environmental folks that I deal with are getting more and more demanding all the time. They want us to be able to produce the results of our .2 gallon per hour leak tests on request. They even want 3rd party annual testing of our manway floats. We still have alot of Pneumercator stuff that we are upgrading to V-R These guys keep telling me that everyone has to comply to get their sticker so I would think anyplace that can do mandatory leak testing could trigger on sudden loss.
Joe